Smashing Cups
by OnTheCyberSeas
Summary: Belle turns to Ruby for comfort after the events at the town line. Ruby suggests an unconventional way to deal with the fallout. Set after 4A.


The clock read five minutes to midnight. Ruby was preparing to close up the diner for the evening when she saw Belle walking up to the door. She was clearly crying and she rushed to the door to greet her. "Hey, what's wrong?" She asked as she held the door open.

Instead of answering, Belle pulled her into a hug and sobbed into her shoulder. She placed a comforting hand on Belle's back and rubbed it as she allowed Belle to let her tears out. "It's okay," Ruby said softly, "I'm here for you." She locked the front door and lead Belle over to one of the booths. Belle sat down and Ruby went back to the front door. She switched the sign from _Open_ to _Closed_. She walked over to the bar and poured Belle a glass of iced tea.

"Thank you," Belle said before downing it in one gulp. "Do you happen to have anything stronger?"

Ruby went behind the bar and god a bottle of the diner's finest wine. Popping the cork, she poured it into a glass. She placed it in front of Belle who tried to drink it slower than she did the iced tea.

Sliding in across from her, Ruby asked, "What happened?"

Belle took a deep breath and recounted to her the evening's events. Apparently, Rumplestiltskin had chosen power over her once again. Belle had finally had enough of the lying and manipulation and banished him from Storybrooke, hopefully to never be seen again. Ruby had always hated The Dark One, and she was proud of her friend for doing what needed to be done.

"I'm sorry that he hurt you," Ruby said, "You deserve much better."

Belle took a deep breath, her hand gripped the glass so hard that it shattered in her hand. Ruby rushed over to grab the first aid kit. Carefully, she took in her own Belle's bleeding hand. "I'm so sorry," Belle said, grimacing at the rubbing alcohol, "It's just that the whole thing makes me so angry."

"Don't be sorry," Ruby said, bandaging her wound. A sudden idea crossed her mind and she ran to the back of the diner. She pulled out a box of glass cups and brought them to the front. Seeing Belle's confused expression, Ruby explained, "You have to get your frustrations out. And Granny was going to get rid of these."

Belle smiled, "That's thoughtful of you, but I don't want to keep you from your evening plans."

"I don't have any," Ruby replied, "Besides, you're more important." Ruby looked down to avoid Belle's eyes. The truth was that she was in love with the librarian, but she was terrified of ruining their friendship. She grinned, "Think of it as girls' night." It had been a long time since they had one. Between wicked witches, ice queens, and marriages built on a lie there hadn't been any time.

"Thank you," Belle said, "I appreciate it." Standing up, she pulled a cup out of the box with her good hand. She wound her arm back and tossed it against the wall. The glass shattered upon impact. "This is actually pretty cathartic," Belle confessed.

She picked up another cup and threw it. Ruby and Belle worked their way through the box, broken glass piling up on the floor. Soon after the box was entirely empty. Belle paused before her hand slipped into her pocket. She pulled out the chipped cup, the symbol of her and Rumplestiltskin's relationship. Trembling, Belle channeled her rage and slammed the cup against the wall. It shattered into a hundred pieces and Belle felt free for the first time in her life. She resolved in that moment that she would never go back to him again.

Ruby grabbed a broom and dustpan to sweep up the glass. Belle offered to help clean up, but Ruby insisted on doing it alone. Belle sat at the booth, attempting to calm down as the adrenaline rush ran through her veins. She watched as Ruby cleaned up and wondered why her heart fluttered when her friend smiled over at her.

When all traces of glass were gone from the diner, Ruby went back over to Belle. She stood up and wrapped her arms around Ruby, "Thank you," she said, "for being there for me."

"It's no problem," Ruby said, melting into Belle's embrace. "I'm glad you saw him for what he really is."

Belle suddenly started to cry. "All I wanted was to be chosen. He's the only one who will ever love me."

"That's not true," Ruby assured her. She reluctantly pulled out of her embrace and looked deep into Belle's eyes. "You're the smartest person I know, the bravest, the kindest. You saw the good in me when most of the town saw a monster. You are more worthy of a happy ending than a lot of people in this town. Don't let him think that you don't." She nearly confessed her own love for her, but she stopped herself in time.

Belle managed to smile as she wiped her eyes. "You're so sweet." After a few moments, she asked, "Can I stay with you tonight? I don't want to be alone."

"Of course," Ruby replied, "Stay as long as you need." She finished closing up the diner and they walked towards the Bed & Breakfast. A few flights of steps later and they went into Ruby's room.

Ruby turned on the lights and locked the door behind them. "I have something for you." She reached for a wrapped present sitting on the counter. "I was going to give this to you for your birthday, but I think you should have it now."

Confused, Belle took the bag from her. Reaching inside, she pulled out a mug. It was a simple white but it had _Happiness Is A Cup Of Tea & A Really Good Book_ written on it in black lettering. Before Ruby could say anything else, Belle tackled her with a hug. "I love it. Thank you."

To both of their surprise, Belle closed the distance between their lips. Ruby's eyes widened but she eagerly kissed back. Realizing what was happening, Ruby pulled away and said, "We can't do this."

"Why not?" Belle asked.

Ruby took a deep breath, "I'm in love with you Belle. I have been for a long time. I don't want this to be a one-time thing. I want to take you on dates and bring you flowers. I don't want to be just a rebound."

Belle took a moment to process her confession. She slowly nodded her head in understanding. "You're right. You deserve to be more than just a rebound, but I can't deny that I feel something for you."

Ruby's heart skipped a beat at the confession, but she fought to keep her face neutral. "Let's be friends for now. We'll have a couple more girls' nights. If you still have feelings for me, we can try this for real."

Belle nodded, "I'd like that." No more was said about the subject. They got ready for bed and crawled onto the opposite sides of the bed. Wishing each other good night, they fell into an easy sleep, knowing that tomorrow would be a new beginning.


End file.
